Jilted by his fiancé two weeks before their wedding, Nash Marino's outlook on life in general, and love in particular, is jaded. After months of couch-surfing, Nash is fed up. He's sick and tired of his living conditions, worn out by the demands of his nursing job, and despairs of ever finding love again. In fact, he doesn't think he's capable of true love. Monogamy, commitment, companionship, and regular sex...that's all he wants, and the sooner, the better.

When Nash crosses paths with a like-minded man who's also in need of a live-in nurse for a beloved relative, Nash figures all his problems are solved. But matters are complicated by a freak accident and amnesia. When Nash's marriage of convenience scheme is muddied by notions of love after his memory reboot, will their plans go awry, or will Nash's new outlook on life be just what the doctor ordered?

Companion to Til Death Do Us Part

Author Bio

Addison Albright lives in the middle of the USA with two peculiar cats. Her stories are gay (sometimes erotic) romance, and tend to be sweet man-love in contemporary settings. Her education includes a BS in Education with a major in mathematics and a minor in chemistry. Addison loves spending time with her family, reading, popcorn, boating, French fries, "open window weather," cats, math, and anything chocolate. She loves to read pretty much anything and everything, anytime and anywhere.

As she discovers the true meaning of freedom, he discovers he's lost his heart.

Western Song is a timeless love story filled with rich unique characters played out beneath the wide Wyoming sky about a bull riding rancher and his recently deceased best buddy's Thai immigrant mail order bride; as she discovers the true power of freedom, he discovers he's lost his heart.

"Western Song" grabbed me from the opening pages and didn't let go until the very end. ... this book could cross genres, not just for fans of the western romance and interracial drama...but for anyone who just likes a moving, beautifully-written, and powerful read!

- Steph Coleman --Goodreads; Barnes & Noble; Indie Book Reviewers

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FUN FACTS: The Creation of WESTERN SONG by LEIGH PODGORSKI

Western Song was first created as a ten minute play. My husband, actor/director Dave Florek, belonged to The InterAct Theatre Company and I was a member of their playwriting group. They produced a delightful series called The Last Gasp, which had been presented to their playwrights as a writing challenge: write a ten minute play that takes place in the judge’s chambers right before the couple’s divorce decree is decided.

We had a lovely friend, let’s call him Bob, who was very shy. We used to joke: “The only way Bob will ever get married is by a mail-order bride.” This was soon after the Vietnam War. There were many mail order brides coming across the seas from Vietnam and other parts of Asia. Thus, a storyline, a few decades later, was born. My handsome husband played Weston, and a beautiful young actress named Janice Chow played Song. That little eight minute play was a big hit!

Friend Stephen Metcalfe, playwright, screenwriter, and novelist read that eight page play and said, “This has to be a full-length screenplay.”

With Stephen’s help as well as a wonderful screenwriting class with an inspiring teacher, I developed Western Song into a full-length screenplay. Again with Stephen’s help, I was able to get the screenplay around to some big fish including Clint Eastwood at Mariposa and Kevin Costner.

Alas—getting it there and getting it done are two very different things. Western Song won a number of screenwriting awards and placements—all very lovely, all in the end non-preventative of the proverbial collecting dust on the shelf.

A Very Favorite Memory: Another dear friend Don Toner who runs a theatre in Austin, arranged a reading of the screenplay. After the reading, a delightful Mom approached me with her ten year old son. “He wanted to shake the hand of the writer,” she told me. He looked up at me with his charming bespectacled face and thrust out his hand.

Takeaway: Never give up your dreams. Whatever they may be. Dare to dream. Dare to believe your dreams will come true.

Giveaway!

About Leigh Podgorski

Leigh Podgorski is an award winning playwright and screenwriter. Among her favorite projects are a play and documentary on Cahuilla elder Katherine Siva Saubel entitled We Are Still Here and the one-act play Windstorm for which she interviewed Dr. Elisabeth Kubler Ross. Leigh's novels include The Women Debrowska that is loosely based on her own Polish ancestry, Ouray's Peak which follows the story of one matriarchal Ute Indian lineage, and the metaphysical mystery series Stone Quest that includes Desert Chimera, Gallows Ascending, and Neuri Shape-Shifter. Several of her theatrical monologues have been published by Meriwether Publishing, Gerald Lee Ratliff, editor. Her newest novel is Western Song published by Solstice Publishing.

Western Song is a timeless love story filled with rich unique characters played out beneath the wide Wyoming sky about a bull riding rancher and his recently deceased best buddyís Thai immigrant mail order bride; as she learns the true power of freedom, he discovers he's lost his heart. In addition, Solstice has also published Leigh's short story The Season of the Neuri Knight, a short story that will be released as a standalone and is currently available in the Anthology Realms of Fantastic Stories Vol2; and the novella My Soul to Take, which will be released on October 31st in the Anthology Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Vol 6 and also as a standalone.

Newly single, Davey has had enough of wasting his love and having his heart broken. Better to be single, he decides. No more dates. No more falling in love. No more dreaming of happy ever afters.

Those are for movies.

He's resolute.

And then Avery steps into his life, bringing care, compassion, and tenderness in his path.Davey's so tempted to hope again. But can an online date and a brief encounter turn into anything other than an ephemeral sexual encounter?

Is there a future for them? Will Avery stay? And most importantly, can Davey bear to offer up his heart to the season's love-just one more time?

A sweet romance by Chris Ethan, author of The Guy With The Suitcase.

Carra's Review

Jingle Spell is a relatively quick holiday read that is a bit insta-lovey, with angst brought on by the characters’ own insecurities. There is some character growth for Davey, who seems to go from his highly cynical outlook on life and people towards a more balanced attitude the more time he spends with Avery…though Davey does appear to have low self esteem even near the end of the story—at least when it comes to relationships.

While when Davey and Avery first started seeing each other I felt that spark of new interest between them, as the story went on I didn’t feel their connection as closely, and Avery actually seemed to become a tiny bit jealous when they’d be out together. When some conflict is introduced in the form of Avery’s ex coming back to see him, it also sends Davey backward a bit in terms of his attitude and self esteem again.

The story doesn’t really have any major drama, just the angst that is really self-created by Davey and Avery, springing from their own self doubts. One thing that did irritate me about this book is that it is set in New York City, however there are quite a few British-isms to be found throughout the story. There is also the matter of how a bar manager and a cashier in a retail store (not high paying jobs, especially a cashier) can each live in their own apartments without roommates and still have money to spend eating out and shopping seemingly without worrying about costs in New York.

Those concerns aside, Jingle Spell was a 3-star read for me and while there’s not a lot of on-page sex scenes, this story is still meant for readers 18+ for adult language and some sexual content.

Author Bio

Chris Ethan is a book whore. He enjoys selling his feelings for money and other pleasures and is blatantly unashamed to do so for as long as he breathes. Chris Ethan is also a persona for Rhys Ethan, author of fantasy and sci-fi. He uses Chris Ethan to share stories of adult queer romance with those who need it. Before you delve into his books however, be warned. He likes putting his characters through sh*tstorms and hates anything conventional. But then there's that darned happy-ever-after. Also, he likes swearing. Deal with it!

When the recently incarcerated Hope Jackson knocks on Kade McKune's door, with three boxes of Girl Scout cookies in her hands, he has no clue his bitter, distrusting rancher's world is about to be turned upside down.

Lied to and taken to the cleaners by a beautiful blonde, Kade has learned a hard lesson and slams the door to any possibility of a woman in his life. Aren't they all liars? And Hope, with her lie of omission about her background, unknowingly fits that description.

Kade isn't about to give her a chance to win his love and to convince him of her innocence. His beloved Double K ranch is doing just fine with the help of his seventy-eight-year-old Gran-the only woman he can trust. He sure doesn't need Hope Jackson, a recently returned brother and baby girl, and three abused boys complicating things and resurrecting feelings long dead.

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Book Excerpt

Take an inside look at Kade with this thrilling excerpt.

Chapter 1

Kade leaned his lanky body against the barn door and scowled out at the drizzle melting into the already soaked earth. The alfalfa field in the distance was obscured by mist. He narrowed his eyes and leaned forward as if the extra few inches would help him peer through the gloom. A fat raindrop bouncing off his black felt hat was his reward. Ducking back, he muttered an obscenity.

The rain was needed; there was no doubt about it, but he resented the time stolen from him. Raking, tilling, planting, cleaning irrigation ditches, branding, moving cattle, and all the other myriad jobs were piling up. Work—a jealous mistress—tapped her foot impatiently.

“Waiting for me ‘cause there sure as hell isn’t anyone else standing in line to share the load.”

The corners of his mouth tipped up at the rare indulgence of self-pity. “Well,” he said belligerently, “it’s the truth.”

Voicing the fact made him feel justified and maybe just a bit better. Maybe.

One of the horses leaned his head out of the stall and nickered. Then, emphasizing the point, pawed the packed straw.

Kade registered the impatient sound and ignored it. Something he rarely did. King could wait. He and the other horses filling the stalls wouldn’t starve until he pitched a forkful of hay to them. Spoiled. They were all spoiled. But he wouldn’t have it any other way. They were his babies—his family. Although Gran and his two brothers might disagree.

The scowl deepened the hard planes of his face—a face that wore the seasons of the ever-changing, fickle, Wyoming weather. Fine lines creased the corners of his eyes. His skin was permanently tanned, courtesy of the high mountain sun and snow- whipping winds. And in unguarded moments, furrows of worry wrinkled his brow. Responsibility hung heavy on those wide shoulders.

His eyes ranged from cold, unreadable blue to deep cobalt, the color of the summer sky. They could look through you with a bone-chilling gaze or make you want to bask in their penetrating warmth. Rarely, though, did they reflect what he was thinking. He kept his thoughts private. The only exception being unguarded moments when they lovingly roamed the open spaces and land that surrounded and made up the Double K Ranch.

The name always brought a weak smile to his thin lips. The Double K was named by his parents Kurt and Kandy McKune. Then they had him, and with their zany zest for life and optimistic personalities, named him Kade. In time, it was to become The Triple K. However, time is a tease and doesn’t march to any drummer but its own.

Hard work, treacherous seasons, and the mind-numbing vagaries of ranch life contributed to tarnishing his parents’ optimism. Thus, when his brothers, Declan and Morgan, were born, they received names that sprouted from their mother’s love of reading and the fictional characters that captured her imagination sometime during the nine months she carried them. They were also as different from Kade as their names.

Giveaway

About DeAnn Smallwood

DeAnn Smallwood lives in Colorado with her husband and their two Yorkies, Stormy and Eli. She is a native of Colorado but has lived in Montana and Wyoming. Her greatest pleasure next to writing is having her books read and enjoyed. Be sure to check out books written under her pen name: D.M. Woods. There you'll find her first two novels in the "Death" series of romantic/thrillers: Death Crosses The Finish Line & Death Is A Habit. She currently has seven western historical romances published and two contemporary westerns. Her third and new contemporary western, the first book of three in The Wyoming Brothers Series, titled KADE has just been released. DeAnn is working on the second book in this series titled: DECLAN. DeAnn says there are many more books just waiting to be written and shared.

A family becomes an assassin's target after a crime lord's sister is brutally murdered in Kaylin McFarren's latest erotic, psychological thriller, Twisted Threads.

Akira Hamada, a beautiful Japanese geisha, failed at killing Kaito Mitsui two years ago - the same yakuza gang leader who destroyed her lover and forced her to become an assassin. Now, with his sister's murderer traveling to the Caribbean on a cruise ship, Akira has ten days at sea to identify her target and complete her assignment as her penance, or face her own death.

Devon Lyons, unaware that his aunt and uncle could be singled out and murdered, brings Akira into their lives. In searching for evidence to justify Mitsui's revenge, she soon discovers that no one is who they seem to be. All the while, Devon is drawn into the mystery of mounting deaths on board the ship, putting his own life at risk.

With killers on the loose and no avenue for escape, tension is ratcheted to a breaking point, forcing everyone to choose between love and loyalty - or deeply held honor - in order to survive.

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Praise for Twisted Threads

Twisted Threads is a titillating page-turner that captivates from start to finish, and never fails to stimulate the senses.

- Brittney Decker, Foreword Reviews/Clarion Review

A tantalizing glimpse into a secret world of desire. Dive deep into the layers of this intoxicating blend of twisted pleasure and intricate mystery. Edgy, fierce, and undeniably stimulating.

- Alicia Tomelloso, San Francisco Book Review

Twisted Threads delivers a story full of suspense, lively, complex characters, and a sexy, fun-filled adventure. Followers of McFarren's Threads series will be thrilled, and readers of this divertingly different, first-class murder mystery will be too.

A sexy mystery that brings the timeless themes of murder, revenge and family loyalty to the high seas. A great series for fans of romantic suspense.

- Bella Wright, BestThrillers.com

Book Excerpt

Take an inside look at Twisted Threads with this thrilling excerpt.

Killing Time

Blood streamed down the side of Akira Sato’s face at an alarming rate, mixing bright red against the white porcelain tub. As the showerhead splayed hot water over her body, she watched it with strange fascination, circling and disappearing through tiny holes in the drain. She picked up a white washcloth and mindlessly scrubbed against her narrow waist until her skin turned bright pink. Then she lowered the coarse cloth and rubbed longer than usual at the triangle of black hair between her legs and upper thighs, stopping only when it became painful. At least on the outside she felt cleaner, but inside was a different matter.

The consequences of her actions could not be remedied, nor could they be wiped away. Yet despite her resolve for this justified killing, she remained lost in a sea of hopelessness…incapable of seeing a way out.

Then why are you still here? Pick up your sword and end it now. The words echoed in her mind, taunting and teasing. She didn’t care about anything…or anyone. Why should she? Mitsui had insisted all ties be cut with the people she had once loved, including the Buddhist monk she might have married.

She poured a generous amount of shampoo into the palm of her hand and lathered her long black hair, gingerly touching the wound her victim had inflicted. The gash in her scalp would disappear in due time, just like her other scars. But the bloody slaughter in the living room had left a horrible mess and would need to be addressed before she left the house.

After thoroughly rinsing her hair, she worked on her face with the bar of lavender soap, removing the black eyeliner, blue eye shadow, and whorish red lipstick she had applied for Kurosaki’s benefit. It wasn’t fair by any means, but there was no going back to the naive geiko she had been. With eight deaths to atone for in her afterlife, she was cursed in both worlds and simply waiting to die at the hands of another assassin. She squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her back against the cold white tile, hugging herself as water washed away her tears.

She heard a muffled sound in the next room and turned off the water. After easing the shower door open, she strained her ears and heard nothing, but her instincts told her otherwise. She stepped onto the bamboo grate covering the stone floor and grabbed the katana sword resting against the wall. The sound of someone rapidly approaching increased her heart rate. Her right hand shook involuntarily, yet she managed to remain calm. The bathroom door flew open suddenly, exposing two members of Kurosaki’s gang.

The first man stared at her, snarling. “You murder a man in his home and have the nerve to use his shower? What kind of monster are you?” He reached for her arm while the second man stood back watching—his coal-black eyes piercing her skull.

“The worst kind,” Akira spat. She drew her sword with lightning speed, beheading the first one with a one-handed horizontal cut. Blood sprayed over the mirror above the sink. She dropped her sheath and held the sword in front of her with both hands. The second man’s face paled, and his jaw slacked. He remained motionless for endless seconds before charging at Akira with a knife stretched out before him. With one swift movement, she raised her sword above her head and brought it down hard and fast across his neck. She pulled the blade back, sending blood spraying across her face.

Another body fell to the floor.

Akira could feel sweat gathering at the base of her spine. She wiped her eyes with her forearm to clear her vision. Tears threatened to break loose and destroy the fortification she’d built.

The voice was back in her head, moving her forward. Keeping her from crumpling into a pitiful mess. Don’t be a fool. Finish the job you were sent here to do.

She found two capsules in the outside pocket of her bag and popped them into her mouth. It took nearly a minute for the numbing effects to take hold. Then she set to work dragging bodies from the house and dropping them into the pit she had found in the woods. When she was finished, she stepped into the shower to wash the dirt and blood off a second time. After cleaning the bathroom floor and walls and scrubbing the living room thoroughly, she dumped all the evidence into the pit outside and set everything ablaze with a match and a bottle of Chateau Guiraud. Her only salvation rested in the fact that Kurosaki’s nearest neighbor lived too far away to witness the gruesome scene and strange smell filling the air.

A cool breeze touched her skin. Too cool. She looked down at herself and was instantly reminded of her nudity, forgotten with the work she’d undertaken. A nervous laugh escaped her lips, and once more she found herself questioning her sanity.

"With plenty at stake, erotic chemistry, dastardly villains, a lost relic, an unusual setting, and a touch of the supernatural, this indie novel could stand on any romance publisher's shelf. The full package of thrills and romance."- Kirkus Reviews

Buried Threads (Book Two)

Overcoming death threats by the Japanese mafia is only the beginning in this heart-racing, action-packed thriller

"If you're a fan of murder mysteries but eschew the usual genre-formatted adventures that offer too-predictable protagonists and not enough depth, it's time to take a look at Buried Threads: a horse of another color. More than a murder mystery, this mingles a treasure hunt, an international race against time, a dark prophecy, Japanese culture, erotic encounters and a clever killer's modus operandi into a story that just won't quit."- Diane Donovan, Senior Editor, Midwest Book Review

Banished Threads (Book Three)

A romantic escape to England is far from restful when the lives of family members hang in the balance

" Readers will get quite a thrill from McFarren's latest Threads novel! Chase and Rachel are back in this fast-paced romantic suspense, based in an art gallery in England. It's full of family drama, stolen art, kidnapping, and even more exciting sex between the globetrotting couple. The story moves along at a brisk pace with plenty of peripheral characters to keep things interesting."- Romantic Times

About Kaylin McFarren

Kaylin McFarren has received more than forty national literary awards, in addition to a prestigious Golden Heart Award nomination for Flaherty's Crossing - a book she and her oldest daughter, Kristina McMorris, co-authored in 2008. Prior to embarking on her writing journey and developing the popular Threads action/adventure romance series, she poured her passion for creativity into her work as the director of a fine art gallery in the Pearl District in Portland, Oregon; she also served as a governor-appointed member of the Oregon Arts Commission. When sheís not traveling or spoiling her pups and three grandsons, she enjoys giving back to her community through participation and support of various charitable and educational organizations in the Pacific Northwest, and is currently the president of the Soulful Giving Foundation - a non-profit focused on cancer research, care and treatment at hospitals throughout Oregon.

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